AI Damage2018 KIA Sorento: common problems
Owners of the 2018 KIA Sorento filed 255 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and exterior lighting. The maker issued 148 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 255
- involving a crash
- 12
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 148
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 42% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 16% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 4% of all complaints
- Engine: 107 complaints (42% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 18.
- Exterior lighting: 41 complaints (16% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 18.
- Electrical system: 30 complaints (12% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 57.
- Steering: 26 complaints (10% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 13 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 255 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 107 | 0 | 18 |
| Exterior lighting | 41 | 0 | 18 |
| Electrical system | 30 | 0 | 57 |
| Steering | 26 | 0 | 9 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 1 | 13 |
| Structure | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 52 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Lane departure | 4 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I've never had a problem staying awake driving. I don't have this problem in my vehicles or other vehicles. Every time I drove the car. I could not stay awake. I ve driven the car about 5xs. I would fall asleep and not even realize it. Now fell asleep driving the car two nights ago.
No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed away to a local tow yard. A Traffic Accident Information form was filed by the local police department. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the opposite insurance provider, and the contact was not deemed at fault.
My car went into Sudden Unintended Acceleration when I shifted from neutral to drive. I was in a gas station that was perpendicular to highway traffic. When I attempted to come out of the car wash tunnel to get my car dried off, the car accelerated out of control, the gas pedal was stuck and the brakes would not…
My breaks would not push down for me to stop and I collided into the car in front of me causing a serious accident. It is being investigated for malfunctioning breaks.
There is no reason we can find that the air bags did not deploy. We bought this vehicle because of the safety rating but now I am concerned that we have issues with our air bags. Will they protect us if this should ever happen again?
The impact totaled the other vehicle and caused $7,500 in damage to my vehicle, and my air bags did not deploy. While I was not seriously injured, I did suffer significant whip-lash type injuries, and injured my knee when it hit the dash board.
Complete engine failure inspected by Westgate Kia Service Dept, Wake Forest, NC Service manager confirmed that known issue and recall in effect for 2018 Kia Sorrento same issue but because manufactures parts are only covered when made in certain locations. mine not covered.
Vehicle: 2018 Kia Sorento VIN: [XXX] Kia Corporate Case #: XXX My 2018 Kia Sorento experienced a catastrophic engine failure (“holes in the block”) while under warranty. The vehicle lost power, emitted heavy smoke, and became completely inoperable.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 254 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sorento has 305 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 255, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER RENOTIFICATION (SC330 Flight 301) - This document is the owner renotification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to replace the multi-function switch knob with improved parts on certain…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH REPAIR (WTY031) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (OPS) REPLACEMENT (WTY026 REVISION 2) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSION SECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REV 4) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. A software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method has been made…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 103 / UM) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY…
- PITSTOP
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 101 / UM) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic…
NHTSA lists 148 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 KIA Sorento?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, exterior lighting, electrical system. Total complaints: 255. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (20%), headlights and tail lights (13%), knocking, grinding or other noise (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 KIA Sorento?
NHTSA lists 148 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 KIA Sorento from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.